Category: General Interest

According to WHO, the mutation from the UK is already circulating in Australia, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark. It is clearly more contagious, it said. The new variant of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus has been found in Australia, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark in addition to the United Kingdom. Apart from Denmark, these were isolated cases, World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus expert Maria van Kerkhove reported Monday in Geneva. The virus can be brought under control even in the new variant, WHO emergency coordinator Michael Ryan stressed. “The situation…

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The Ministry of Social Affairs on Monday presented the draft regulation for the third “hard” Corona lockdown. It does not yet include the free testing phase, because the regulation is valid for the time being until January 4. There are no surprises in the measures. It is made clear that testing obligations for Covid 19 patients do not apply for three months. More visits will be allowed to nursing home residents at Christmas. On Dec. 24 and 25, residents of nursing and retirement homes will be allowed two visits from…

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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) officially recommended approval of the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine on Monday afternoon. It said the approval will apply to all persons 16 years of age and older and to all EU member states at the same time. “This is a significant milestone in the fight against the pandemic,” Marie-Agnes Heine, head of EMA’s communications department, said in an opening statement. The EMA’s scientific opinion now paves the way for the first approval of the Covid 19 vaccine by the European Commission. The latter, meanwhile, has…

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Austria expects to receive a sufficient share of the vaccine doses secured across the EU in the discussion about ordering more vaccines in Europe. “The contract of Biontech and Pfizer includes 200 million doses already ordered by the EU-27 and another option of 100 million doses for which the EU-27 orders are in preparation. All EU countries will get their share secured,” Special Representative Clemens Martin Auer said yesterday. “These contracts stipulate that individual EU countries can only conclude individual contracts with manufacturers such as Biontech once the large EU…

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Austria is counting on a sufficient share of the vaccine doses secured across the EU in the discussion about ordering more vaccines in Europe. “The contract of Biontech and Pfizer includes 200 million doses already ordered by the EU-27 and another option of 100 million doses for which the EU-27 orders are in preparation. All EU countries will get their share secured,” Special Representative Clemens Martin Auer said today. “These contracts stipulate that individual EU countries can only enter into individual contracts with manufacturers such as Biontech once the large…

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Who has to wear all mouth-nose protection, when can I go back to the gym and who has to get tested and when? Email us your coronavirus-related questions at office@austrianpress.com 1) Can I meet my best friend even in lockdown?Round-the-clock curfew restrictions apply. Visiting individual closest person has already been counted among the exceptions as meeting basic needs. This is to be expected now as well. 2) Who is exempted from the obligation to wear a mouth-nose protection? Children up to the age of six and deaf and severely hearing…

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Singing along is not allowed, plus reserved seats are needed for services in the churches.It goes this with a number of restricions – also in churches: one has to wear mask, observe without distance. In contrast to the Easter Vigil celebrations (first lockdown), however, the Christmas masses (just before the third lockdown) may take place with visitors, albeit restricted and with many conditions due to the risk of contagion. The dioceses of the Catholic churches as well as the Protestant parishes are making efforts to offer Christmas services that conform…

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Due to the Corona Entry Ordinance, the Austrian Armed Forces have been increasing their forces at the state border in Lower Austria, Carinthia and Tyrol since Saturday until probably January 10. In the remaining provinces, troops will be redeployed, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said Saturday morning in a statement. The army is stepping up controls at border crossings with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy, together with the police. On the German A3 freeway near Passau, traffic jams have been forming since nightfall on Saturday…

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Retail will be closed again from December 26 until January 18, and restaurants and hotels will remain closed. And the lockdown will last even longer – until January 24 – for all those who do not participate in the second round of mass testing in mid-January. The ski resorts and lifts in Tyrol, on the other hand, will be allowed to open from December 24. An overview: 📅 DURATION:The third lockdown starts on St. Stephen’s Day on December 26, and ends on January 17, but only for those who undergo…

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